Pope Francis’s medical condition had deteriorated so severely that the medical team had lost hope for his survival and decided to stop treatment, allowing him to pass away peacefully. However, the Pope’s nurse disagreed and insisted on continuing treatment until the very end for the 88-year-old religious leader.
According to news reports, the doctors treating Pope Francis themselves disclosed this information. Pope Francis was hospitalised in February due to a respiratory illness and was discharged on March 23 after spending more than a month in the hospital.
Francis was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome. During this time, he experienced severe breathing difficulties at least four times. The most critical situation occurred on February 28, when he inhaled vomit, which increased pressure on his lungs and caused breathing to stop.
Hospital surgeon Sergio Alfieri said in an interview that the Pope’s condition had worsened. They were completely convinced that he would not survive. They had to choose between stopping treatment or pursuing alternative medical options, which carried a high risk of damaging his internal organs.
When Pope’s personal nurse Massimiliano Streppeti was asked about stopping treatment, she flatly refused. She instructed the medical team to continue treatment and urged them to try everything and not give up.
Alfieri said that the Pope himself believed he would not survive beyond that night, but after the nurse’s insistence, doctors restarted treatment. This proved beneficial, and his condition began to improve.
On March 10, doctors announced that he was no longer in danger. As soon as the Pope started feeling better, he began moving around the ward in his wheelchair. One evening, he offered pizza to everyone who had helped him.
After further improvement, the Pope requested permission to go home, which was granted. After leaving the hospital, he returned to his residence at Casa Santa Marta in Vatican City. According to doctors, he would need two more months of complete rest to fully recover.
